Middle Atlantic Products has launched the AV Academy to train the consultant and contractor community on today’s most innovative AV technologies. Held during this year’s AV month in October, the inaugural initiative offered a mix of weekly webinars and on-premises training that certified participants for InfoComm, NSCA, AIA, and BICSI credits. Delivered to hundreds of registrants, the first-time event resulted in participants earning more than 350 certificates between the weekly webinars and onsite training sessions, which were also streamed to a live audience.

AV Academy in session

“The pace of AV is creating some incredible opportunities for today’s integrators, but unfortunately, these benefits are often poorly understood,” said Michael Sidarous, northeast regional integration manager for AVI-SPL. “With AV Academy, Middle Atlantic has carved out a unique learning path by letting integrators, architects, consultants, and contractors earn credits for solutions and trends that will form the new best practices for our installations.”

Held during AV Month, Middle Atlantic’s inaugural AV Academy offered weekly online seminars that led up to the onsite education track at the company’s Fairfield, NJ headquarters. Subjects included industry-changing technologies, digital video formats, and deployment of connectivity options. For the on-premises component, Legrand’s Technology Evangelist, Joe Cornwall, CTS-D, presented sessions on integrating mobile devices into fixed AV systems in addition to a digital video course that explained what to expect from new technologies and their impact on AV systems. Other sessions presented by Middle Atlantic speakers included a track on unconventional ways to conceal equipment as well as the capabilities of next-generation rack equipment. Streamed live to over 200 viewers, the education sessions were followed by a networking event at the end of the day.

The onsite event also included a factory tour of Middle Atlantic’s 425,000-square-foot facility. Promoting U.S.-based manufacturing, the state-of-the-art location has been in operation for over eight years and enables the company to more efficiently meet customer needs. Added Sidarous, “It was amazing to see firsthand how Middle Atlantic’s solutions are created; the factory tour was a unique experience that perfectly capped a very informative day. I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.”

“We felt that launching Middle Atlantic’s AV Academy during AV Month would help today’s industry professionals fully leverage the promise of exciting new technologies and learn more about the hot topics affecting our marketplace,” said Dan Tarkoff, Middle Atlantic’s vice president of customer experience. “The enthusiasm for our program points to the rising need for dynamic training and continuous education in an industry on the cusp of some very important changes. We look forward to continuing this successful relationship with our partners as we roll out new courses and programs in the future.”

A natural extension of InfoComm International’s AV outreach program, AV Month has given companies tangible ways to become advocates for the industry by reaching out to end users, potential customers and employees. For live coverage of Middle Atlantic’s inaugural AV Academy, please visit AV Nation.